Formaldehyde is a preservative found in common household washing items, and woods that use adhesives containing urea-formaldehyde resins. Formaldehyde also adds permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, and is also a preservative in paints and coating products. Urea-formaldehyde resins are the most significant source of formaldehyde. It is found in particleboard, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard. Medium density fiberboard has the highest resin-to-wood ratio. Formaldehyde is allowed in the U.S. and some countries in Europe, but glues that contain formaldehyde are banned in South Korea and Japan, while China allows formaldehyde to exist in products being exported to the U.S.
Formaldehyde is a potent eye, skin and upper respiratory irritant, is a candidate as a carcinogen, and is possible that it can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, and depression. It is released into the environment by a number of different ways, mainly through combustion processes. In the environment, formaldehyde has a half-life of 1.6 to 19 hours, which is based on a number of variables. When released into the water, it takes a few days to degrade. The economic affects prevail considerably in that formaldehyde is a very cheap and easy to make preservative. Though if we were to ban it, there would be a job increase with the fact that there would have to be people to check if certain products do carry formaldehyde. The political ramifications of banning formaldehyde is that we would sever the import of particle board, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard from certain countries like China, Malaysia, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and Thailand.
It is my belief that the chemical, formaldehyde, is of immediate concern. We should seek to find an alternative to the urea-formaldehyde resins used in our woods and adhesives, other products as well should use a different type of preservative that is less harmful to humans.
Background
Formaldehyde is used in a number of products, specifically, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, liquid hand wash, bubble bath as a preservative, killing microbes and bacteria that would otherwise build up in these products without it. It adds permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, is a component in glues and adhesives, and is a preservative in paints and coating products. A specific type of formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins, is the most significant source of formaldehyde in today’s products. UF resins can be found in press wood products that use adhesives, particleboard, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard. Medium density fiberboard has the highest UF resin to wood ratio, which is higher than any other UF pressed wood product. Formaldehyde is allowed in the U.S., and some countries in Europe, while South Korea and Japan have banned the glues that contain formaldehyde fumes. China does not allow formaldehyde to be in products sold domestically, but allows it to exist in products for export to the U.S.
Synthesis and Production
Formaldehyde is produced either from the dehydrogenation or oxidation of methanol. Most companies today produce formaldehyde by using catalysts such as silver or iron oxide. Methanol and oxygen react near iron oxide at 250-400ºC. Here is a picture of formaldehyde:
Human Health Implications
Formaldehyde is an effective eye, skin, and upper respiratory irritant. It carries a possibility of effecting the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, and depression, and has the capability of inflicting asthma and triggering asthma attacks. Formaldehyde is also a possible carcinogen. Almost every tissue in your body can break down formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is metabolized by the enzyme formaldehyde dehydrogenase, which breaks it down into formate, a non-toxic chemical which is passed through the urine. Formaldehyde can be converted into carbon dioxide and breathed out, or broken down by the cells in your body for later use in the creation of molecules that are essential to your body. Formaldehyde can also attach to DNA or proteins. It is important to metabolism in cells, and is also produced in the metabolism of serine, glycine, methionine, choline, and in the demethylation of N-, S-, and O-methyl compounds.
Environmental Implications
Formaldehyde is released into the environment in many different ways. It is released into the air by combustions, vehicle exhausts, cigarettes, incinerators, refineries, power plants, wood stoves, and kerosene heaters. However the quick and numerous reactions in the air, involving photolysis and oxidation, easily counterbalance the amount of formaldehyde that is released into the environment. Formaldehyde has a half-life of 1.6 to 19 hours in the atmosphere, which is dependant on the radiant energy, the presence and amount of pollutants, and other factors. It is released into the water and soil by means of industrial waste and discharge wastes. Formaldehyde takes a few days to degrade in water.
Economic/Political Impact
If formaldehyde were to be banned in the United States, we would be out of a cheap preservative in some everyday items, such as shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, bubble bath and liquid hand wash, particleboard, hardwood plywood, and medium density fiberboard. These products would most likely be taken off the shelves, or companies would begin to make their products with a more expensive preservative. As for the existing products in the U.S. they would be purged or exterminated, and whole houses might even have to be destroyed and rebuilt with different materials that do not contain formaldehyde. But there would be an increase in jobs, seeing as there would be a need to check if products contain formaldehyde.
The United States imports products forged with formaldehyde from a number of different countries, mostly from China. The other countries the U.S. imports these formaldehyde-ridden products from are Malaysia, Brazil, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and Taiwan. Expelling products made with formaldehyde from the United States would result in severing the ties of importing goods with all of countries, and would either cause a mass outrage, or would cause other countries to make their products using a different preservative.
Summary
The health effects of formaldehyde do outweigh the economic and applicable benefits. Though formaldehyde does cause certain complications with health, such as irritating the eyes and respiratory system, and has the capability of affecting the nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue and depression. Also it is a possible carcinogen. The amount of formaldehyde that is excreted by these products combined with how many products actually contain formaldehyde is enough to actually pose a threat to the health of citizens in the United States.
The economic and applicable benefits of formaldehyde do not outweigh the health effects in that formaldehyde provides companies with a cheap preservative for their products. Without it, we would have to resort to higher costing alternatives. If action were taken against formaldehyde emitting products, these alternatives would be applied to most likely to urea-formaldehyde resins in adhesives and woods, seeing as they provide the most potent emissions of formaldehyde. Though it is possible that we could use a soy-based adhesive, raising the sales price of soy, seeing as there would be higher demand.
Table of Contents
Formaldehyde
Abstract
Formaldehyde is a preservative found in common household washing items, and woods that use adhesives containing urea-formaldehyde resins. Formaldehyde also adds permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, and is also a preservative in paints and coating products. Urea-formaldehyde resins are the most significant source of formaldehyde. It is found in particleboard, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard. Medium density fiberboard has the highest resin-to-wood ratio. Formaldehyde is allowed in the U.S. and some countries in Europe, but glues that contain formaldehyde are banned in South Korea and Japan, while China allows formaldehyde to exist in products being exported to the U.S.
Formaldehyde is a potent eye, skin and upper respiratory irritant, is a candidate as a carcinogen, and is possible that it can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, and depression. It is released into the environment by a number of different ways, mainly through combustion processes. In the environment, formaldehyde has a half-life of 1.6 to 19 hours, which is based on a number of variables. When released into the water, it takes a few days to degrade. The economic affects prevail considerably in that formaldehyde is a very cheap and easy to make preservative. Though if we were to ban it, there would be a job increase with the fact that there would have to be people to check if certain products do carry formaldehyde. The political ramifications of banning formaldehyde is that we would sever the import of particle board, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard from certain countries like China, Malaysia, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and Thailand.
It is my belief that the chemical, formaldehyde, is of immediate concern. We should seek to find an alternative to the urea-formaldehyde resins used in our woods and adhesives, other products as well should use a different type of preservative that is less harmful to humans.
Background
Formaldehyde is used in a number of products, specifically, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, liquid hand wash, bubble bath as a preservative, killing microbes and bacteria that would otherwise build up in these products without it. It adds permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, is a component in glues and adhesives, and is a preservative in paints and coating products. A specific type of formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins, is the most significant source of formaldehyde in today’s products. UF resins can be found in press wood products that use adhesives, particleboard, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard. Medium density fiberboard has the highest UF resin to wood ratio, which is higher than any other UF pressed wood product. Formaldehyde is allowed in the U.S., and some countries in Europe, while South Korea and Japan have banned the glues that contain formaldehyde fumes. China does not allow formaldehyde to be in products sold domestically, but allows it to exist in products for export to the U.S.
Synthesis and Production
Formaldehyde is produced either from the dehydrogenation or oxidation of methanol. Most companies today produce formaldehyde by using catalysts such as silver or iron oxide. Methanol and oxygen react near iron oxide at 250-400ºC. Here is a picture of formaldehyde:
Human Health Implications
Formaldehyde is an effective eye, skin, and upper respiratory irritant. It carries a possibility of effecting the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, and depression, and has the capability of inflicting asthma and triggering asthma attacks. Formaldehyde is also a possible carcinogen. Almost every tissue in your body can break down formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is metabolized by the enzyme formaldehyde dehydrogenase, which breaks it down into formate, a non-toxic chemical which is passed through the urine. Formaldehyde can be converted into carbon dioxide and breathed out, or broken down by the cells in your body for later use in the creation of molecules that are essential to your body. Formaldehyde can also attach to DNA or proteins. It is important to metabolism in cells, and is also produced in the metabolism of serine, glycine, methionine, choline, and in the demethylation of N-, S-, and O-methyl compounds.
Environmental Implications
Formaldehyde is released into the environment in many different ways. It is released into the air by combustions, vehicle exhausts, cigarettes, incinerators, refineries, power plants, wood stoves, and kerosene heaters. However the quick and numerous reactions in the air, involving photolysis and oxidation, easily counterbalance the amount of formaldehyde that is released into the environment. Formaldehyde has a half-life of 1.6 to 19 hours in the atmosphere, which is dependant on the radiant energy, the presence and amount of pollutants, and other factors. It is released into the water and soil by means of industrial waste and discharge wastes. Formaldehyde takes a few days to degrade in water.
Economic/Political Impact
If formaldehyde were to be banned in the United States, we would be out of a cheap preservative in some everyday items, such as shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, bubble bath and liquid hand wash, particleboard, hardwood plywood, and medium density fiberboard. These products would most likely be taken off the shelves, or companies would begin to make their products with a more expensive preservative. As for the existing products in the U.S. they would be purged or exterminated, and whole houses might even have to be destroyed and rebuilt with different materials that do not contain formaldehyde. But there would be an increase in jobs, seeing as there would be a need to check if products contain formaldehyde.
The United States imports products forged with formaldehyde from a number of different countries, mostly from China. The other countries the U.S. imports these formaldehyde-ridden products from are Malaysia, Brazil, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and Taiwan. Expelling products made with formaldehyde from the United States would result in severing the ties of importing goods with all of countries, and would either cause a mass outrage, or would cause other countries to make their products using a different preservative.
Summary
The health effects of formaldehyde do outweigh the economic and applicable benefits. Though formaldehyde does cause certain complications with health, such as irritating the eyes and respiratory system, and has the capability of affecting the nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue and depression. Also it is a possible carcinogen. The amount of formaldehyde that is excreted by these products combined with how many products actually contain formaldehyde is enough to actually pose a threat to the health of citizens in the United States.
The economic and applicable benefits of formaldehyde do not outweigh the health effects in that formaldehyde provides companies with a cheap preservative for their products. Without it, we would have to resort to higher costing alternatives. If action were taken against formaldehyde emitting products, these alternatives would be applied to most likely to urea-formaldehyde resins in adhesives and woods, seeing as they provide the most potent emissions of formaldehyde. Though it is possible that we could use a soy-based adhesive, raising the sales price of soy, seeing as there would be higher demand.
Public Service Announcement
http://www.gasdetection.com/news2/health_news_digest4.html
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/9/4382
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html
http://www.lassentech.com/eiform1.html
http://www.formaldehyde-europe.org/pages/Q___A_on_formaldehyde.130.0.html#top
http://www.health-report.co.uk/formaldehyde.html
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/12/21/business/20071202_CHEMICAL_GRAPHIC.html
http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/compwood/implementation/faq.htm#F.%20Imports
http://buy.ecplaza.net/search/1s1nf20sell/hardwood_plywood.html
http://www.healthybuilding.net/formaldehyde/index.html